How to Spend Your Summer Productively as a Student

For most students across the country, summer signals the time to relax, unwind, and put all your worries and stress about school out of your mind. While there is certainly nothing wrong with this approach, it doesn’t really help you in terms of advancing your education or career aspirations. If you’ve made a decision that you aren’t going to let the summer pass by without doing something productive with your time, then you’re in luck because there are all kinds of things you could be working on and towards.

Here’s a look at ways you can be productive this summer as a student and make that time really count.

Earn a Scholarship

There’s no question that college and university tuition is on the rise, and for many students it means that school just isn’t affordable. So why not take the summer and work towards earning a scholarship that you can use to cover part of, or all of your tuition making your dreams of attending college or university a reality.

As far as what scholarships are available, the USA Scholarships website is the perfect website to visit for all the latest information on various scholarships out there. Take for example the UC Berkeley Summer Aid, UW-Madison Undergraduate Awards for Summer Study, Summer Incentive Programs, and more.

Look for an Internship

Now is the time to start thinking about that summer internship that could give you an inside look at the career you wish to pursue. Internships provide you with experience and knowledge, allowing you to learn new skills, and you’ll be networking at the same time. Let’s not forget that summer internships look incredible on college and university entrance applications. It helps you to look serious about your education and future career and shows you are well-rounded and willing to put in the hard work.

Get a Summer Job

A summer job is another way you can be productive this summer. Sure, it may not be your dream career or even in the same industry you hope to work in one day, but a job provides you with all kinds of wonderful benefits. First, you’ll be earning a paycheck, which can go towards paying for school, plus you’ll be networking, learning how to be responsible in the workplace, how to work as a team, become more confident, and learn all kinds of new skills.

Build a Professional Online Presence

Because there is so much focus on social networks nowadays, it’s well worth considering how you can use these networks to your benefit. Why not spend the summer building your online professional presence. You could set up social network accounts with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even start your own website. Be sure to keep the content focused on professional and career aspirations, thoughts, ideas, and news so you start to build that reputation for yourself.

Making Good Use of Your Time

There is no reason you can’t enjoy summer and all the fun activities that go along with it, but at the same time you can also be looking for ways to spend your time in a productive manner.